Hand luggage



M. KISH. JR

July 17, 1956 HAND LUGGAGE Filed March 26, 1954 M- KISH, JR

July 17, 1956 HAND LUGGAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 26, 1954 AT TORNE Y5 M. KISH, JR

HAND LUGGAGE July 17, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 26, 1954 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Products Corporation, Trenton, N. 1., a-corporation of New Jersey Application March 26, 1954', Serial a. 418,963 3 Claims. cl-.1904

This invention relates to hand luggage and pertains particularly to that type of hand luggage whichis sometimes referred to as garment bags or wardrobe bags, so called because they are designed to receive and hold mens or Womens garments onhangers which allow the garments to hang naturally without folding. When travelling, and particularly when travelling by automobile, or when it is desired to insert or remove garments, a bag of this type may be suspended at one end by a hook. When it is desired to carry the bagby hand, however, it may be folded into a compact U-shape and carried by a handle or handles provided f'orthe purpose. 7

Such bags are of very simple construction, being rectangular in shape and comprising spaced, parallel front and back panels connected by a gu'sset, with an access opening in one of the panels. Oneof the virtues of a bag of this type has been its limp, flexible construction, for except as hereinafter described, the-panels and gusset, usually made of textile orplastic sheet material, have been unstiffened and unreinforced. As a result, the walls of the bag are flexible and accommodate themselves to the contents of the bag, and even when the bag is folded for carrying by hand the pressures exerted by the walls on the contents of the bagare distributed and equalized, and garments transported therein c'afi'y much better and with less creasing than inbagswith-rigidwalls;

The exceptions'noted above-are as-f'ollows. Suchbags have customarily been provided-with "a wire frame at one end of the bag, i. e. at the end which becomes the top of the bag when suspended, usually extending the full width of the bag and extending the full depth of the gusset from the front panel to the back. Such a frame serves as a rigid supporting means for the garment hangers and for the bag suspending hook and carrying handles. It also serves to preserve the rectangular shape of the top of the bag and a similar frame has sometimes been inserted in the bottom of the bag for a similar purpose. These frames, however, have not interfered with the essential flexibility of the bag and particularly of the front and back panels or the side portions of the gusset.

More recently, instead of securing the carrying handles to the end frame, a stiifened or reinforced panel has been secured to the back (outside) panel of the bag, extending transversely across the bag at the region where it is cus tomarily folded for carrying, and a carrying handle has been secured thereto. Again, however, the stiffening of the mid portion of this panel interfered only slightly with the essential flexibility of the bag.

The present invention relates particularly to bags of this latter type, and it is an object of the invention to provide further reinforcement of the bag to cause it to retain its shape while folded for carrying, but again without interfering with the essential flexibility of the bag.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 405,540, filed January 22,

1954, and now abandoned.

nited States Patent ice Patented July 17, 1955 A-preferred embodiment of the invention selected for purposes of illustration is shown in the accompanying drawings, in; which,

Figure lis a perspective view of the frame elements of the -bag-.

Figure 2 is a front elevationof the top section ofthe bag, partly broken away.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is anenlarged section on the line 4-'-4 of Figure 1. V I

Figure 5 is an end elevation of the bag folded for carrying, partly broken away. 7

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is aview similar to Figure 2, showing a modified form of the invention.

Figure 8 is an enlarged section on the line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is an enlarged section on the line 99 of Figure 7. V

Figure 10 is an end view of the bag of Figure 7 showingthe manner in which it may be collapsed and rolled into a smallbundle.

Referring to the-drawings, and particularly to Fig. 5 which shows the bag folded for carrying, the bag comprises frorit (inside) and back (outside) panels 1 and 2 connectedalong their outer edges by a gusset 3. The front panel is provided withan access opening 4 which may beclosedby a flap 5 by means ofa slide fastener.

the upper end of the bag is a frame, preferably of wire, comprisingtwo parallel members 6, 6' extending the fullwidth ofthe bag, but turning downward to form depending members 7 7' which are connected by members 8. Cross members 9 span the space between members 6,6',-and-these together with cross member 10 hold the members 6,- 6 in properly spaced relation. Member 10 additionally serves to anchor the hook 11 which is secured thereto by a swivel 12. Depending members 10a and-10b are joined by a crossbar on which garment hangers maybe supported;- A keeper 13 sliding on members 10a and 10b serves to retain the garment hangers on the bar.

A similar frame is located at the lower end of the bag, comprising parallel members 15, 15 which turn upward to form depending members 16, 16' which are connected by members 17. Said lower frame is similar in all respects to the upper frame except that there is no provision for hangers or supporting hook and only a single cross member 18 is provided.

Garment bags of the type thus far described and having both upper and lower frames or having an upper frame only have been known and sold for considerable time. They have sometimes been provided with carrying handles attached to the ends of the bags, although more recently they have been provided with a single carrying handle located as shown in Fig. 5. In such cases, the back (outside) panel is stiffened by layers of stiffening material 19, 20 extending transversely across the bag within the region between the fold lines. The panel may also be reinforced longitudinally by a bar 21.

While such bags have been very popular, they have sometimes been criticized because, due to their limp, flexible construction, they tend to sag into unshapely contours when folded for carrying and placed on the floor. This is particularly true when the bag is only partially filled.

In order to obviate this difficulty, according to the present invention, I provide supporting members 22 connected at one end to respective connecting members 3 and 17 by hook shaped ends 23, and connected at the other end by metal straps 24 and rivets 25 to the back panel 2. Preferably said supporting members are of light metal (aluminum) tubing and are located in the back corners of the bag where they are out of the wayof the contents of the bag. If desired the pairs of straps 24 may be joined by a transverse bar 26.

As will be noted, when the bag is folded for carrying and placed on a floor as shown in Fig. 5, the two end frames are at the bottom of the bag and support it on the floor. As a means of improving this support, as Well as strengthening the end frames, additional cross members 27 may be provided, preferably channel shaped, to which studs 28 are secured. The studs extend through the casing and protrude therefrom to support the weight of the bag on the floor. Meanwhile, the supporting members 22 support the other portions of the bag, and cause the bag to stand erect as shown in Fig. 5.

Referring now to Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10, a modified form of the invention is disclosed in which the supporting members are each pivotally connected to said frames at one end and detachably connected to said back panel at the other end, so that by releasing said detachable connections, the supporting members may swing on said frames to the positions indicated in broken lines in Fig. 7. When the supporting members are swung to such positions, the bag may be rolled into a small bundle as illusnoted in Fig. 10. Such a collapsible supporting structure is of great importance, not only to the users of such bags, but also to the merchandising of such bags.

From the point of view of the individual user, it is a great convenience to be able to store the empty bag in a relatively small space. From the merchandising point of view, however, the advantages of collapsibility are spectacular. For example, the shipping carton for a normal size uncollapsed bag of this type has a volume of approximately 3 cubic feet. The same carton is entirely adequate to contain at least three collapsed bags. The carton cost alone, therefore, is cut to one third and trucking and freight costs are substantially reduced. Moreover, in retail luggage stores where the storage space problem is always troublesome, the ability to store three bags in the space formerly occupied by one is an important advantage.

Referring to Fig. 8, the hook shaped ends 23a of the supporting members 22a are pivoted on the members 8a and can swing thereon from the full line to the broken line positions of Fig. 7. The other ends of the members 220 are flattened and provided with slots 31 which engage the detachable fasteners 32 mounted on plates 33 which are riveted to the back panel. The fasteners illustrated are of a type commonly known as turnbuckles, having rotatable members 34 which can be turned to lock or release the supporting members, but it will be understood that any suitable type of detachable fastener may be employed.

It will be understood that the invention may be variously modified and embodied within the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A garment bag comprising spaced, parallel front and back panels, a gusset extending between said panels and connected thereto around the marginal edges thereof, said panels and gusset being of relatively thin, flexible material, a frame located at each end of said bag, each of said frames extending the full width of the bag, and the full depth of the gusset, a plurality of supporting members, one of said supporting members being pivotally connected at one end to each end of each of said frames closely adjacent the back panel and normally extending substantially perpendicular to said frame and substantially parallel to said back panel, and means detachably securing each of said supporting members at its other end to said back panel, the length of each of said supporting members being less than one-half the length of said back panel and less than the width of said back panel so that when detached at said other ends from said back panel said supporting members of said respective frames may swing on and against said frames to permit the back to be rolled into a small bundle.

2. A garment bag according to claim 1 in which said frames are wire and in which cross members are connected to the front and back members of said frames near the ends thereof, said cross members carrying studs which extend through the gusset.

3. A garment bag according to claim 1 in which said frames are wire and in which said supporting members are light metal tubing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,086,895 Cart July 13, 1937 2,313,547 Hinson Mar. 9, 1943 2,684,135 Cart July 20, 1954 

